Skip to main content

Head of State | Review by: Stefano Bove



John Cena and Idris Elba team up again in another hilarious buddy comedy. The suicide Squad duo reignite that love/hate relationship that made the film work but this time, they are not working for the government they are the government.


Cena and Elba star as the US President and the UK Prime Minister, respectively. PM Sam Clarke (Elba) is a six year veteran in office and President Will Derringer (Cena) is an ex-action star turned politician. You can see how this can create immediate tension in the funniest of ways between our two leads with many subtle jabs at each other and the current political climate in the world. It is interesting to see how politics in the US has influenced the media over the years. 
Traditionally, a US President in films has always been portrayed as smart and stern but Prime Minister Clarke definitely comes off as more dependable and knowledgeable, at least at first. President Derringer has a lot of people to impress in his new role; The Prime Minister, the voter and us the viewer. 

Priyanka Chopra completes the dynamic of the group playing special agent Noel Bisset. She is smart, serious and a fierce combatant. The banter between Cena and Elba is great but when Chopra comes into the mix, you realize how important she is to help break up the banter between them.

The plot is pretty simple and sometimes lost in the action as terrorists are plotting against NATO (stating it simply) and it is up to our trio to take them down and uncover all of the mystery and uncover spies within their respective levels of Government. It is however the action sequences that keep you engaged and entertained for the two hour film. Coming off of the success of the film, Nobody Director Ilya Naishuller hits another home run in the action genre. 

Head of State has all of the ingredients needed for a 
summer blockbuster. It is honestly surprising that a movie
 this big did not hit theatres before being released on Prime. 
I guess they were catering to your dad by putting it directly 
to streaming because this film is about to be his favorite 
new action film.

Head of State is now available on Prime Video

3.5/5

Popular posts from this blog

The Mandalorian Season 3 Review

  Listen, I love Star Wars. I will always love Star Wars.  The  original and prequel trilogies were a big part of my childhood, and helped shape my love of cinema. While  The   Mandalorian  isn’t among my favourites in  the  franchise, I thought it had a promising first season and a significantly stronger season two. Season three had so much potential, but a frustrating lack of focus held it back from greatness.  This show’s always had a bit of an identity crisis, but it’s never been as clear as it is here. Does it want to be a procedural-style adventure of  the  week, or tell an epic, multi-season spanning arc? Season one leaned toward  the  former, while Season two found a satisfying balance of both. Season three tries to find that balance, but  the  overarching story it wants to tell is bigger than  the  few episodes allotted to do so. There are only 8 chapters, some barely over 30 min. That’s a fair...

Andor Season 1 Review

I’m going to make a bold statement here, but one I honestly believe to be true. Andor is the best Star Wars has been since the Original Trilogy. Fans in search of epic space battles, lightsaber duels, or a direct connection to the Skywalker Saga may walk away disappointed. However, those in search of a deeper, more mature entry in this long-standing franchise will bask in everything the show has to offer. Star Wars has always been more focused on telling a big, sweeping story filled with exciting action sequences. The galaxy always felt huge, but it never really felt full. Andor changes all of that, with a grounded and personal story unlike anything Star Wars has given us before. This is a thoughtfully constructed, character-driven series that adds depth and life to the galaxy in ways none of the movies or shows have been able to. With twelve episodes, this is the longest Disney Plus series yet, giving the story ample room to breathe and develop at a natural pace. It smartly avoids the...

The Rip Review

  The Rip is all the evidence you need that a great cast can elevate an otherwise run-of-the-mill movie. Without its impressive A-list roster, this would’ve likely been lost among a crowd of forgettable January dumping ground releases. Throw Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and a handful of other extremely talented actors into the mix, though, and now you’ve got something worth watching.  While there are exceptions that prove the rule, a lot of these police/cartel thrillers are interchangeable when it comes to their cookie-cutter story beats. The Rip breaks exactly zero molds, but it also doesn’t feel as uninspired as it could’ve. There are enough surprises to keep things engaging, and the tension - which the movie often hinges on - is appropriately high strung. The action is punchy and loud, which is no surprise coming from Director Joe Carnahan. While I do have minor issues with some of the sequences feeling a bit choppy in how they were shot and edited, the action is solid and packs...